


How the Zebra Got Its Stripes

by leather_lace_love



Category: Just So Stories - Rudyard Kipling
Genre: First work - Freeform, Random & Short, Rudyard Kipling - Freeform, also the snake talks weird, if you have not read any of the just so stories this will make approximately no sense, just so stories, so go read them, this is in the style of Rudyard himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:04:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7139291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leather_lace_love/pseuds/leather_lace_love
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short drabble in the style of Rudyard Kipling's short stories</p>
            </blockquote>





	How the Zebra Got Its Stripes

Once upon a time, O Best Beloved, there was a young Zebra. And thus young Zebra was just full of most ‘scruciating laziness. Do remember this, O Best, for it is dreadfully important.

This Zebra was scolded most brutally by a silver-colored rock-python one day, for the silver-colored rock-python was very hungry and that Zebra with his most ‘scruciating laziness had ruined the silver-colored rock-python’s appetite.

“It is apparent to me that your ‘scruciating laziness, O young Zebra, is twisting my middle intestines so greatly that I cannot bear to quench my thirst or abate my hunger,” says the silver-colored rock-python, for that is the way all silver-colored rock-pythons talk, as you will know, Best Beloved. “Now if you please,” the silver fellow said unto the young Zebra, “shift out of my vicinity so that your most dreadful laziness does not soil my appetite further.”

(Now, it was at this very beginning of the world, O Best, where the Zebra was not black with white stripes, or white with black striped, but rather sort of grayish around his middle, and white at the edge of him. Lots of things were different in the beginning, like the whale’s mouth, and the armadillo's armour, as of course you are aware, Beloved)

So then the Zebra, with his most scruciating laziness, said to the silver-colored rock-python, “You can move away to some other place, silver-colored rock-python, if my idleness bothers you; I shan’t move.”

“Thissss disturbs me greatly,” said the silver-colored rock-python. “ This young Zebra is so most scruciating lazy, and me and my fellow silver-colored rock-pythons, we must congregate into a committee to cure this young Zebra of his most scruciating laziness.”

And so, Best Beloved, the silver-colored rock-python slithered away, feeling most satisfied with his plan. He called upon his fellow silver-colored rock-pythons to congregate in a committee near one of their favorite places, the large lora-lora tree, because all silver-colored rock-pythons love lora-lora trees, as you will know, Beloved. 

“Sssssso,” said the silver-colored rock-python to his fellow silver-colored rock-pythons, “this young Zebra with his most ‘scruciating laziness has so greatly disturbed my central intestines in such a way that I cannot bear to dine upon my favorite victuals.”

The fellow silver-colored rock-pythons hissed amongst themselves, for all silver-colored rock-pythons know the pain of not bearing to dine upon their favorite victuals.

“Sssso,” said the silver-colored rock-python, “I have thought up a most brilliant plan to cure this most ‘scruciating laziness. And my plan is thus:

“A certain, unobtained number of my fellow silver-colored rock-pythons will cover their tails in the thick, black mud of the roaring river down yonder grassy hill approximately ten yards north-north-west, and then my fellow silver-colored rock-pythons will paint this most ‘scruciating lazy Zebra.. We will stripe his outer layer of skin with the most embarrassing stripes of black.”

The fellow silver-colored rock-pythons hissed with agreement, and, O Best, this most dastardly plan was carried out. 

The silver-colored rock-pythons covered themselves in black mud, and they did so paint this young Zebra to cure him of his most ‘scruciating laziness. And then the Zebra awoke to find himself covered in the most embarrassing stripes of black. In those days, Beloved, positively no one had stripes at all, so it was rather like awakening to find yourself painted green, pink, and yellow stripy all over your skin. Thus, you can understand the young lazy Zebra’s reaction; he raged and raged and stomped and stomped and shook and shook and shook the most ‘scruciating laziness right out of him.

And that, Best Beloved, is how the Zebra at once got his stripes and was cured of a most ‘scruciating laziness.

**Author's Note:**

> this is like two paragraphs also it's my first work don't judge me


End file.
